Dish-washing machine



W. R. WALKER.

DISH WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 13, 1913.

1,397,846. Patented Nov. 22, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

BY jk/ I A77 RIVEV.

W. R. WALKER.

DISH WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 13. I918.

Patented Nov. 22, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLARD rewALxEn, or SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, AssroNOn TO THE wALxEn BROTHERS COMPANY, or SYRACUSE, NEw YORK, A CORroRA'rION on NEW Patented Nov. 22, 1921.

YORK.

DISH-WASHING MACHINE.

1,397 ,846, Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 18, 1918. Serial No. 249,845.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLARD R. WALKER, a citizen of the United States of America, of S racu'se, in the county of Onondaga, in the tateof New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Dish-Washing Machines, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in dish washing machines involving the use of a. primary or washing vat and a secondary or rinsing vat arranged side by side and connected in such a manner that the cleaner fluid from-the rinsing vat may discharge by gravity directly into the washing vat, the primary object being to render the entire cleansing operations more continuous, expeditious and convenient than has. hereto ore been practised and at the same time to avoid excessive waste of the water or other cleaning fluid.

Other objects and uses relating to specific parts of the apparatus will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a front elevation, partly in section, of a dish washing machine embodying thevarious features of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a detail horizontal sectional view of a portion of one side of one of the vats taken in the plane of line 2-2 Fig. 1 to show the bafile plate across the overflow opening.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of a portion ofthe machine beneath the vats taken in the plane of line 3-3 of Fig. l.

Figs. 4 and 5 are transverse vertical sectional views taken respectively in the planes of lines 4.4 and 55 Fig. 3.

As illustrated this apparatus comprises a table l-, a pair of upright vats 2- and '3-for the washing and rinsing fiuids adapted tOcontain suitable dish supporting trays '4 shown in part by dotted lines in Fig. 1, suitable means for supplying the washing fiuid to the vats and means for impelling the fluid upwardly from the bottoms so as 'to impinge a ainst all portions of the dishes or other articles which may be carried in the trays.

The table 1- is supported in a horizontal position upon suitable legs 5- and is provided with similar circular openings 6- and annular flanges 7- for receiving and supporting the vats 2- and 3 with their upper ends in substantially the same horizontal plane nearly coincident with that of the table.

A lower deck or platform 8-- is secured to and between the le 5 in a horizontal plane some distance below the lower ends of the vats for receiving and supporting various parts of the drivin mechanism for the impellers hereinafter escribed and also serving to brace the legs against relatively lateral movement, said legs being additionally braced by horizontal bars -9- in a plane below the deck or platform 8-.

In order that the vats -2 and 3 may be additionally supported without perforating or otherwise mutilating the same, I have provided a pair of circular bands 10 each encircling the cylindrical body of one of the vats in a horizontal plane some distance below the table -1 and co-axial with the openings 6, said bands being secured by bolts or other suitable fastening means 11-- to the inner faces of the legs '5 to hold the vats against lateral vibratory movement in their respective openings 6.

The vats 2- and 3 are similar except that they are of different depths or heights, the general construction being substantially the same as that shown and described in my Patent Number 1,070,562, August 19, 1913, 1,158,409, Oct. 26, 1915, 1,224,446, Oct. 23, 1917, 1,259,939, March 19, 1918, and 1,265,843, May 14, 1918, in so far that their main bodies are cylindrical and their upper ends are enlarged at 12- and are provided with lids or covers 13-, the lower ends being provided with conical or hopper shaped bottoms 14having central bearings 14' and channels 16 surrounding said bearmgs.

The cylindrical portions of the vats are supported in the openings -6- and rings 7- with their upper enlar ed ends -12- resting upon the flanges in substantially the same horizontal plane. The vat 2- is considerably deeper than the vat 3- and may be termed the primary or washing vat, the bottom of which is disposed in a horizontal plane mainly below the bottom of the vat 3 and is provided with a drainage outlet in the apex thereof communicating with a drainage pipe -15- having a normally closedvalve 15' for controlling the discharge of the washing fluid, said valve bein similar to that shown in my Patent 0. 1,304,519, issued May 20, 1919.

This vat 2 is also provided in one side with an overflow or outlet 17 in a plane some distance above that of the drainage outlet adjacent the junction of the conical bottom 14-- with the cylindrical body and is connected by an overflow pipe 18- with the drainage conduit -15-- beyond the valve -15'- where the overflow may have a free exit independent of said valve.

As previously intimated the washing fluid is impelled upwardly by a rotary impeller presently described and in order to prevent undue exit of the upwardly impelled fluid through the overflow .-17-'-., I have provided a baflle plate 19- extending circumferentially across said opening between the inlet in the side thereof and the point of connection of the conduit -18- therewith as shown more clearly in Fig. -2-, the purpose of said outlet being to determine the level of the washing fluid in the vat.

The shallower vat 3 is adapted to contain a rinsing fluid and may be termed the secondary or rinsing vat and like the vat 2 is provided with an inverted conical or hopper-shaped bottom -14.- having a central conical bearing -14-- in the apex thereof surrounded by a channel -16 to which is connected a drainage conduit 15-- having a valve 15' for controlling the discharge of the fluid. This vat is also provided with an overflow opening or outlet -17- in a plane some distance above that of the drainage outlet or near the junction of the conical bottom -14 with its cylindrical sides and is connected by a conduit -18- to the drainage conduit --15-.

A baflie plate -19- extends across the overflow -17 in a manner and for the same purpose as previously described for the vat 2.

Th drainage conduit 15- leading from the bottom of the vat -3 discharges directly into an inlet -20- in the adjacent side of the bottom of the vat --2 said inlet being disposed in a plane or level between that of the drainage outlet and overflow of the vat -2- so that when the valve -15- of the vat --3 is open the cleaner rinsing fluid may be discharged therefrom into the washing vat for reuse after which fresh rinsing water ma be supplied to the vat --3- through supp y pipe 21 which is connected to both vats.

It is now clear that the overflow openings 17-- determine the levels of the fluid in their respective vats so that the liquid level in the vat -2 will be considerably lower than that in the vat --3 or in this instance inapproximately the horizontal plane of the drainage outlet of the vat --.3-, both of the overflow openings being disposed at exactly the same elevation from the corresponding drainage outlets thereby maintaining a relatively shallow body of water in each vat.

The dish supporting tray or basket 4- for each. vat is similar to that set forth in my Patent Number 1,285,490, issued Nov. 19, 1918, and is supported in a plane above the corresponding overflow outlet -17- and therefore some distance above the bottom of the vat and above the impeller which is movable in the vat, said basket having relatively large openings in its bottom and sides to allow the washings and rinsing fluids to pass therethrough and to contact with all portions of the dishes and other articles supported thereby when the impeller is in motion. On the other hand when the impeller is at rest the dishes and other articles which are carried in the basket above the normal liquid level are automatically drained and dried, when left for a short period of time as for example in the rinsing vat.

Each vat is provided with a similar rotary impeller blade 22- similar to that set forth in my Patent Number 1,244 446 previously referred to, said impellers being secured toseparate vertical shafts which are journaled in the bearings-14 in the bottoms of their respective vats and are driven by a horizontal shaft -24 through the medium of opposite sets of intermeshing gears --25-.

The shaft 24-- is journaled in bearings 26- on the lower deckor platform -8- of the main supporting frame and is provided with opposed clutch members -27- feathered thereon in axially spaced relation. A pulley- -28- is loosely mounted on the shaft 24- and has the opposite ends of its hub provided with clutch members for cooperative engagement with one or the other of the clutch members 27-, the pulley -28 being connected by a belt 29- to a suitable motor -30 which is also mount ed upon the deck or platform 8- as shown more clearly in Fig. -3-.

The clutch members -27 may be operated independently into an out of engagement with the adjacent'ends of the pulley -28 by means of separate shifting levers --31-- (Figs. -3- and 5). Each of the clutch members 27 is provided with a relatively rotatable section 27- withinthe main section -27', said sections being provided with radial lugs -32- and -33- between which are located coiled springs 34-- which serve as shock absorbers in preventing an abrupt start of either impeller or suddenly retarding the motor when either or both of the clutches are thrown ing clutch member is shifted into engage-.

ment with the pulley 28, the motor 30- being then started by the operation of an electric switch .a Fig. lwhich rotates the corresponding impeller blade -22 to impel the water upwardly through the over-lying basket -4- and against the dishes and other articles which may be carried by the basket, the upward deflection of the whirling water being aided by a. series of deflecting plates 22 which are rigidly secured to the interior of the vats and are similar to those shown in my Patent Number 1,244,446 previously referred to.

This initial washing operation is continued as long as may be necessary to effect a thorough cleansing of the dishes and other articles, afte which the clutch may be shifted to its inoperative position to stop the impeller and allow the water to settle and drain back to its normal level.

When the :dishes are sufliciently drained the basket containing the same is removed from the vat --2 and placed in the rinsing vat -3- where a similar cleansing operation is performed with clean water and if required a second basket containing other soiled dishes may be placed in the vat 2 to be operated upon simultaneously with the rinsing operation. After the dishes in the vat 3 have been thoroughly rinsed the impeller is stopped by the shifting of the corresponding clutch and the dishes are then allowed to drain for a short time whereupon the basket with the clean dishes thereon may be removed and carried to the place of distribution.

The soiled washing fluid in the vat -2 may be drawn off at any time by simply opening the vcorresponding valve -15- whereupon the rinsing water which has been previously used in the vat 3 may be diverted therefrom to the vat 2 by simply turning the valve 15 in the drainage connection between the vats after which the said valve may be closed and fresh rinsing water supplied to the vat -8--through the 66 supply pipe -21, the latter being prowith conical bottoms having their apexes disposed in planes one above the other, a drainage conduit leading from the higher apex into the conical bottom of the other vat, and an overflow pipe leading from the va't having the higher conical bottom into said drainage conduit.

2. In a mechanical dish washer, upright vats of different depths supported side by sidewith their upper ends in substantially the same horizontal plane and their lower ends provided with drainage outlets, a drainage conduit leading from the outlet of the shallower vat into one side and above the outlet of the deeper vat, separate valves controlling said outlets, and an overflow conduit leading from one side of the shallower vat into said drainage conduit between the valve and deeper vat.

3. In a mechanical dish washer, a pair of upright vats supported side by side and provided with conical bottoms having drainage outlets in their apexes, a conduit leading from the outlet of one vat into the other vat above the outlet thereof, and an overflow pipe leading from the first named vat into said conduit.

4. In a mechanical dish washer, an upright vat having a conical bottom, an impeller rotatable within the conical bottom about a vertical axis, a drainage conduit leading from the apex of said bottom below the plane of rotation of the impeller, a supply conduit for the washing fluid entering the upright portion of the vat above the conical bottom, and an overflow conduit leading from the vat at a point near the junction of the conical bottom with the upright portion of said vat to limit the rise of the liquid to approximately the level of said junction.

5. In a mechanical dish washer, an upri ht vat having a conical bottom, an impe ler rotatable about a vertical axis within the conical bottom, a drainage conduit leading from the apex of said conical bottom below the impeller, a valvein said conduit, and an overflow conduit leading from the vat at a point near the junction of the conical bottom with the upright portion and connected to the drainage conduit at a point beyond the valve.

6. In a mechanical dish washer, upright vats arranged side by side and provided with conical bottoms in planes one above the other, impellers rotatable within said conical bottoms about vertical axes, drainage conduits leading from the apexes of said conical bottoms below their respective impellers, corresponding drainage conduits at points the conduit leading from the apex of the beyond the valves thereof. higher conical bottom being connected to In witness whereof I have hereunto set the other vat, separate valves in said" conmy hand this 6th da of August, 1918.

5 duits, and separate overflow conduits lead- WILL RD R. WALKER.

ing from said vats at points near the junc- Witnesses: tions of the conical bottoms with the up- H. E. CHASE right portions thereof and connected to the ETHEL M. WILLIAMS. 

